…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups…

peanutButterCups

Ok… Lets be honest. Who can resist those delectable little…peanut butter filled… chocolate capsules of deliciousness!??

I know that I have a HUGE weakness for things that include both peanut butter and chocolate.  So I had to find a way to create my own recipe but carried a healthier nutritional profile.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate BUT I suggest other baking chocolate)

2 tbsp. vanilla protein

2 tbsp. peanut butter (I used natural creamy peanut butter)

1/4 cup chocolate PB2 (you can also use the regular peanut butter flavor PB2.  This is what makes these “double chocolate” protein cups)

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk


Directions:

  • Combine protein powder and PB2 into a mixing bowl.
  • Add almond milk and mix contents until smooth and creamy.
  • Add peanut butter and mix until thick and creamy.

peanutButterCups_PBMixFinal

  • In a small sauce pan, melt the chocolate chips at low heat (stirring occasionally).
  • Add a small layer of melted chocolate to silicone baking cups (you can also use wax paper but silicon works best for this recipe). My layer is literally just enough to cover the bottom of the baking cup.  You do not want to add too much, just a few centimeters thick.
  • Place baking cups with chocolate into the freezer until hardened (this will take about 15 -20 minutes. Make sure they are sitting on a flat and even surface while in the freezer)
  • Take the baking cups out of freezer and add about 1/2-1 tbsp of peanut butter mixture into the chocolate cup. (DO NOT overfill the cup! Just enough for a small dollop of peanut butter protein mixture to sit in the middle of the cup)
  • Cover the peanut butter protein mixture with more melted chocolate. ( I add enough chocolate so that the peanut butter mixture is “hidden”.

peanutButterCupsSteps

  • Place chocolate cups (with the added peanut butter protein mixture) to the freezer until hardened. (This will take about 30 – 45 minutes).
  • Remove chocolate cups from silicone baking cup (or you can leave them in the wax baking cups if you chose to use those) AND ENJOY!

peanutButterCups_Final

  • Keep these stored in the freezer until you are ready to eat them. I typically place the cups in a Tupperware container to help store them in the freezer.

 

Nutrients:

This recipe will make approximately 12 cups
Serving Size: 1 Peanut Butter Cup
Calories: 120
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 8 g
Sugar: 5 g

Try these healthier peanut butter cup alternatives and let me know how you like them! Like stated above, you will want to keep them in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.  This will also allow them to last longer.

These are a great treat for you, your family, or even for your friends! I made these and took these to work and NO ONE was able to tell that they were not the “regular” peanut butter cups. You can get creative and add things to your cups. I prefer dark chocolate so that is what I decided to use instead of milk chocolate.  It is your treat so make it however you like!

… Girls Tackle Football…

football

Growing up, I was a tom boy.  I was not into dance class, beauty pageants, or being dainty.  I had three other brothers and developed a love for sports at a very young age.  Being from Texas you could not help but be engulfed in the football culture.  Although I wanted to play a sport like football, the only option I was offered was to be a cheerleader and watch on the side line.

dt.common.streams.StreamServer

Naturally being a tom boy, most of my friends were guys.  It was a pleasure being able to stand on the side line and cheer them on.  But to be able to be on the field with them would have been an amazing experience! I was able to play flag football during special events (when girls were actually allowed to play football).  I even did quite well in flag football and led my team to a victory each year that we played. This was as close as I could get to feeling the grass under my feet, field goals in my peripheral, and the pig skin in my hands while my peers and teachers screamed and cheered for me.

This dream of mine has become a reality for a small group of young girls in Utah.  The Utah Girls Tackle Football League is the first league in the United States to allow girls to play tackle football.  The girls are becoming pioneers and changing what it means to “Play like a girl”.

I feel that these girls, families, and organization are getting a lot of grief for allowing these girls to do something that they clearly enjoy doing.  The organization is made up of 50 players that are split into 4 different teams.   Sam Gordon, the organizations creator and organizer, has a daughter that…how do I put this nicely…SMOKED the boys she was playing with in a “regular” boys youth football league.  He made sure to research what would be the best equipment options for the girls and how to evolve the rules to cater to the safety of the players.

Lighter helmets, better fitting pads, and a smaller football help to create this league which is paving the way for potential tackle football leagues all across the USA.

To the ladies in this league, the families who support them, and the team organizers, THANK YOU! This opportunity is opening so many doors for these young athletes and to sports for women.  It is clear that the organizers did their research to ensure the safety of their children. In reality what sport is 100% safe?  There is room for error and injury with ANYTHING that you do.  I am just happy that these young girls are able to live out a dream that I personally had while I was growing up.  Instead of being the cheerleaders, they are able to pad up and join their peers on the field.  I salute you and hope that I have the opportunity to see a game in person or help in some sort of way at some point in my lifetime.

Until we meet…. PLAY LIKE A GIRL! *virtual high five* 😛

…Back 2 School, Back 2 Fitness…

It is time for your kids (and possibly yourself) to get back to school.

That does mean that your schedule may get busy, but you also have to get into a routine to make sure that you can still work towards your health and fitness goals.

They key: try to set up a routine that will allow you to fit in some time to get active!

This can be before school, after school, or sometime during the day.

 

This may be hard to do when you have work, school, and your family to take care of.  But, those exact reasons should also be the reasons that you want to get healthy and in shape.

Do it so you can set an example for your family to make your health a priority in life.  Teach your family that you need to get active as well as consuming well balanced meals.  You will also want to do it for school and work.  If you are in a regular workout routine you will be less likely to get sick AND you will be more focused.  This will allow you to show up to work/school and be focused and full of more energy to get things done.

Get healthy and fit for not just yourself, but for those around you and the things that you want to achieve in life.  You can get so much more done if you are not tired and have more energy.  The best way to get ahead is to be physically and mentally prepared for whatever life, school, and work has to throw at you.

Here is a great at home workout you can do with your friends and your family!